Best Western to Open Hotel in Hanoi on
Saturday; Big Plans for Country

Eyeing Vietnam’s fast-growing tourist arrivals,
with 5 million visitors expected in 2010, Best Western
International is planning to take its Vietnam portfolio from 729
rooms currently to 2,050 rooms within 2012.

“Our aim is to have a hotel in all the key areas
across the country to serve sharply growing demand from both
business and leisure travelers,” said International Development
Manager – Asia, Mr. Rashane Sala-Ngarm.

“Vietnam has so much to
offer that particularly appeals to the kinds of people who value
Best Western’s high standards of comfort and reliability while
still reflecting the special character of each particular place.
Among those are a lot of North American and European visitors who
love the country’s culturally rich cities and World Heritage
Sites.”

“At the same time, strong government
backing for tourism development makes Vietnam a place you can be
confident in when planning ahead and increased flights by low-cost
carriers are all the time injecting more energy into the mix,”
Mr. Sala-Ngarm added.

Currently, Best Western
has one property operating in Vietnam, with another to join its
portfolio on Saturday.

The Best Western Pearl River Hotel in
Haiphong, which originally opened in 2008, features a total of 101
guestrooms and suites. The
new Best Western Muong Thanh in Hanoi, which will celebrate its
Soft Opening on Saturday, 10 October 2009, features 168 rooms, conference and banquet
facilities, food and beverage outlets and a Savasana Spa &
Wellness Center.

Best Western International – Asia also
has three hotels in Vietnam at various stages of
development:

• Best Western Sapaly Hotel, Lao Cai - 180 rooms (opening Q1
2010)

• Best Western Premier Nha Trang Plaza - 200 rooms
(2010)

• Best Western Dalat Plaza Hotel - 80 rooms (2010)

Particular areas of focus for Best
Western include the three gateway
cities with international airports, namely Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
and Da Nang. World Heritage areas have also been identified as
strong prospects. These include Halong Bay and Halong City, Hoi An
and Hue City. While Vietnam is famous for its long coastline and
beautiful beaches, the group is also eyeing the exceptional mountainous
landscapes of Sapa (Lao Cai) and Dalat.

“Vietnam
tourism is booming as the country has been certified as safe and
has nice weather, friendly people, lots to see and great culture
and cuisine,” said Mr. Kevin Corlor, Director, Business
Development, Best Western Area Development Vietnam. “What’s more, from a purely
infrastructural point of view, the time is right as world-class
transport and communications systems are being put in place that
will make this fascinating and diverse country much more
accessible to discerning travelers from all over the world.”